Benji Bennett - Author
What’s your earliest holiday memory?
Every summer we went to a caravan in Curracloe, Co Wexford. There were six children in a typical caravan. Mum and dad had their room, and the couches in the kitchen turned into bunk beds. At the bottom of the road were shops, amusement arcades and we’d get chips down there. I loved it as a kid.
What was your worst holiday?
I’ve always felt so lucky to be away on a holiday, I can’t say there was a worst one. However, once we were going abroad to a wedding and woke up at 8am for an 8.30am flight to Athens. We grabbed our suitcases, didn’t even brush our teeth, ran to the car and just made the flight.
On arrival, we had to go to a dinner party, but we hadn’t washed all day and my wife’s luggage went missing. So we were sitting in a lovely restaurant under the Acropolis, everyone else was decked out but my wife was in sweatpants and a T-shirt from the night before. However, it ended up being a great trip.
What was your best holiday?
The best holidays have been staying in a little mobile home in Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, every year. It is magical there – the smell of the sea and the sound of the waves. It’s very simple outdoor living with barbecues and conversations, cycling down boreens and swimming. Even the rainy holiday memories are happy ones there.
There is a big grass hill and all the kids got a bucket of fairy liquid and made a big mud slide. They would then clean off by jumping into the sea. It’s a place very close to my heart and a lot of the inspiration for my books come from the experiences there.
If budget or work were not a restriction, what would be your dream holiday?
Myself and my wife Jackie have always talked about getting a massive camper van when the kids are old enough and driving across America or Australia.
If you had your pick, who would you bring on holiday with you?
Definitely a family holiday. But when the kids are all grown up I have a romantic notion of just the two of us selling our house and meandering around in a caravan.
What’s your favourite place in Ireland?
Definitely Brittas, a lot of my heart and soul is there.
Your recommended holiday reading?
When I get a chance to read, I try and choose something worthwhile and educational, something like Ryan Tubridy's new book [ JFK in Ireland] would be interesting.
Where will you go to next?
I’d love to go to Cape Verde as there’s no time lag, the weather is good and you can get there in a couple of hours.
* Adam's Pirate Treasureby Benji Bennett has been shortlisted in the children's category of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards which can be voted for online by midnight tomorrow at irishbookawards.ie
* In conversation with
Genevieve Carbery